EFCC arraigns pastor for N22.4m fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), has arraigned Pastor Nimi West and his company, Nimak & Company Nigeria Limited before Justice U.N. Agumoh of the Federal High Court Port Harcourt, Rivers State on a 4-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence.

The pastor was said to have received N22,400,000 from one Emmanuel Dike at different times in 2013 as payment for a bungalow at D/Line, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

However, the complainant later discovered that the property had been sold to another person while his efforts to recover his money did not succeed.

West pleaded not guilty to the charge when read to him.

One of the counts reads: “That Nimi West ‘m’ on or about the 13thday of September in Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud deceitfully obtained the sum of Four Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N4, 400,000.00) from one Architect Emmanuel Dike, a Nigerian citizen, under false pretence that you were going to sell a property in Port Harcourt to him, a pretext which you knew to be false and you fraudulently made it, with the intent that he may believe it, and he believed it and acted upon it as genuine, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable by section 1(3) of the same Act”.

In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, C.A.Okoli applied for a date for the commencement of trial while the defence counsel C.B.Osita made an oral application for bail of the accused to enable him attend to his health.

Justice Agumoh granted the accused bail in the sum of N1m with two sureties in like sum.

The case was adjourned to 17th and 18th of January, 2017 for trial while the accused person is to be remanded in prison custody until he perfects his bail conditions.